GEF Funding Liaison Specialist

Job Description
CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: 2600049
Job Posting: 12/Jan/2026
Closure Date: 26/Jan/2026, 10:59:00 PM
Organizational Unit: OCB
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of

Requisition :
Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)
Primary

Location:

Italy-Rome
Duration:
Up to 11 months
Post Number: N/A
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
FAO Commitment

FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non- and under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values.
FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero‑tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.
All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
Organizational Setting
The Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) works to ensure that countries and stakeholders respond to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. OCB provides a cross‑organizational coordination role on these issues and is the focal point to major multilateral environmental agreements including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The Office also assists FAO Members in their responses towards the interlinked challenges of food security, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation including through facilitating access to climate and environmental financing such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). In addition, OCB hosts the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme, the Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture as well as FAO’s work on environmental safeguards and leads the Programme Priority Areas on Climate Change (PPA BE1) and Bioeconomy for Sustainable Food and Agriculture (PPA BE2).
FAO is one of the 18 Implementing Agencies of the Global Environment Facility. OCB hosts the FAO-Global Environment Facility (GEF) Coordination Unit which serves as a Funding Liaison Unit with the GEF, a global funding mechanism for five environmental conventions. FAO’s global GEF portfolio has grown rapidly and currently exceeds USD $2 billion, with more than 400 approved projects. The OCB‑GEF Coordination unit (GCU) serves as Funding Liaison Unit for FAO’s collaboration with the GEF and the GEF‑managed Funds.
Reporting Lines
The GEF funding liaison specialist will report to the Programme Officer in the OCB GEF Coordination Unit.
Technical Focus
Portfolio monitoring, portfolio management and quality assurance of submissions, speed of operations for timely delivery and impact, implementation support, compliance with GEF and FAO policy and operational requirements.
Tasks and Responsibilities
Monitoring and Reporting

Monitor and support projects in advancing through their key project cycle milestones and supporting liaison with the GEF in close coordination with the OCB GEF technical Officer (GTO) and Project Task Forces (PTF).
Manage data from FAO corporate database FPMIS, OCB‑GEF Unit’s portfolio dashboard and prepare periodic reports covering key performance indicators and other key parameters of FAO’s project cycle efficiency.
Prepare analytic reports and flag projects at risk of weak performance, working closely with PTFs, Decentralized Offices and HQ Units in charge of the corporate monitoring function to follow up on actions needed.
Li…